Mark Begich

Who is Mark Begich?

Mark Peter Begich is the junior United States Senator from Alaska and a member of the Democratic Party. A former mayor of Anchorage, he served on the Anchorage Assembly for almost ten years prior to being elected mayor in 2003. In the 2008 Senate election, Begich defeated incumbent Ted Stevens, the longest serving Republican member of the Senate of all time.

Born in Anchorage, he is the son of former U.S. Representative Nick Begich. At 26, he was elected to the Anchorage Assembly. He eventually served as chairman for three years, before leaving the Assembly in 1988. Begich ran two unsuccessful campaigns for mayor in 1994 and 2000 before being elected in 2003.

Begich won the Democratic nomination in the 2008 Senate election. He defeated longtime incumbent Republican Ted Stevens. Stevens had been facing ethics and corruption charges and was convicted of felony violations a week before the election. Begich became the Chairman of the Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee in 2011.